Sewing machine control



Oct. 26, 1937. v M. TAIGMAN 2,096,928

SEWING MACHINE CONTROL Filed April 4, "1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' !NVENTOR MAX TAIGMAN ATTORNEY 26, 1937. M. TAIGMAN SEWING MACHINE CONTROL Filed April 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MAX TAIGMAN BY OmWW ATZFORNEY Patented Oct. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEWING MACHINE CONTROL Max Taign l'an, New York. N. Y. 7 Application April 4, 1936, Serial No. 72,719 13 Claims; (01. 192 02) The invention relates to a controlmechanism for a motor driven transmission of the type which are subjected to rapidly re-occurring intermissions in their operation and the invention spe- 5. cifically relates to an attachment to a sewing machine drive. The present disclosure constitutes a development and refinement of the inventions described in applicants prior patents including 1,463,449, July 31, 1923 and 1,931,305,

October 17, 1933.

The primary object of the invention in this disclosure as was the primary object in the disclosure of similar construction in the above identified patents, is to combine a simplified compact, rugged construction for mounting an electric motor and associated sewing machine driving friction clutch in position relative to the control mechanism therefor, so that any of the standard makes of electric motors may be mounted in accurately located relation to the mechanism for controlling the clutch, for controlling the brake usual in such constructions and for controlling the current supply to the motor.

The disclosure in this application relates more 5 particularly to refinements in details which ad,-

ditively contribute to the perfection ofthe disclosures in applicants prior patents and to the commercially developed construction and details herein disclosed rather than to any radical departure from the disclosure in the above identified patents.

The present disclosure therefore features refinements in the organization of basically known parts; in making the parts as separately constructed units; in providing for accessibility to adjustable and replaceable parts and in economizing in the number and size of component parts and in the disposition of metal in the structural parts to provide for maximum strength and resistance to distortion while featuring lightness in weight of material.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and inpart will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel-features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a pre: ferred embodiment of the invention shown in its operative relation to an electric motor and associated friction clutch driven thereby and which motor is hung from a sewing machine support and in which view the friction clutch is shown partly in vertical section and the control parts in its pulley-braking and clutch inoperative position; 5

Fig. 2 is a view showing the opposite side of the control device shown in Fig. 1 and with the electric motor, its clutch and the current controlling switch shown in ghost outline;

Fig. 3 is a plan view looking down upon the 10 structure shown in Fig. 2; V

Fig. 4 is a detailed view showing the connection between the main supporting frame and the switch box shown in Fig. 2 and with the parts. slightly separated; 15

Fig. 5 is a detailed view showing. a .modified form of the connection between the casing and frame and taken on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig, 3;

Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective view showing 20 the replaceable brake and outer end of the associated brake arm; and s Fig. '7 is a view corresponding to the mid-portion of Fig. 3 showing a modified form of vertically adjustable connections between the motor 2 5 hanging bracket and the mechanism control unit particularly featured in this disclosure.

In the drawings and referring first to the showing in 'Fig. 1 there is disclosed a sewing machine table II] on which is mounted a sewing 30 machine I I driven by belt which extends through the table II] and is driven from pulley I3 in turn driven from electric motor. The motor and associated control unit hereinafter disclosed depends from bracket I5 secured to the underside of table 35 by bolts IS. The motor is provided with a driving shaft I I which carries a side face type of friction clutch I8. This clutch includes a relatively fixed clutch-element I9 provided with a long hub 20 which projects on the shaft I! in opposite 4o direction'from the clutch element I9 so as to provide alongbearing for element I9 on shaft I7 and in turn provide a long bearing for the hub 2| of the coacting'clutch element I3, the periphery of which is grooved to form the pulley to re- 1 5 ceive the belt I2. A friction ring 22 is inserted in element I9 to provide-a frictional drive between the elements I3 and I9 of the friction clutch when floating hub 2I of element I3 is moved to the right of the showing of Fig. l and 50 into its frictional clutching engagement to cause the motor to drive the sewing machine.

The bracket I5 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending motor mounting slots-' 23 so located as to accommodate different size 5 and makes of electric motors and arranged so that the base 24 of the motor may be adjustiii ' vertical adjustment of the unit relative to the ably mounted on the bracket and shifted in the direction of the length of the slots, that is in the direction of the axis of the motor shaft to locate the associatedfriction clutch horizontally relaattachment designated 2 6 as'a whole is designed to be mounted upon the bracket so as to permit bracket and thus relative to the electric motor and its associated clutch carried by the bracket.

For this purpose there is provided at the-edge of. i

' having one end enlarged and overlapping the V the bracket beneath the sewing machine a wide upstanding channel member, which'as shown at 21 in Fig. 3 extends parallel to the axis of the shaft, that is parallel to the length-of the brack-' et, or which in the modified showing at 28 in.

Fig. 7 extends at right angles to'the shaft, that is-at right angles to'the length of the bracket,

butotherwise of identical construction sothat the detailaof the description on one will be-Sufficient fo-r'the other. In either case the channel memberii'l or 28 is provided in its web 29 with a vertically extending slot 30 extending from the upperedge downwardly as shown in Fig; 2. The 'unit 26 includes-a main supporting frame 3| 'in the form of a rugged cantilever arm terminating at its supported end in a wide rugged vertically extending bar 32 which fits within the channel member 21 or 28 and is of some material lengthso as to resist tendency of the unit to sag relative to its support in any direction. A bolt 33 extends throughJthe s1ot"30'and is threaded into the 'bar so that when the bolt is tightened in place the bracket as a whole is rigidly secured to the bracket in such vertically adjusted position so as to bring the-brake and clutch control elements hereinafter described into their proper operative position relative to the particular motor which happens to be mounted on the bracktally from the bar, has its outer end slightly down-turned and terminates in a. cylindrical and horizontally extending journalling boss 34. A

short headed stub shaft 35 is 'mounted in the boss and is secured against end-wise movement by stop screw 35 threaded'through the boss. The shaft isprovided with a head 3] and fitted between this head and the adjacent end of the boss is a long hub 38 of a T-shaped bell-'cran-kilever 39'journalled for rocking movement on the shaft 35. The bell crank leverincludes a long-horizon'tally extending actuating arm 40 provided with apertures 1H and 42 in which may be selectively engaged a depending .pull rod-43 leading to afoot pedal (not shown) and by means of which the device may be operated bythe foot ofthe operator as is usual in such constructions."

tion band 22 on the element-l9. The arm 44 is relatively short compared'to the longer arm 40 so as'to obtain a powerful leverage effect fromy the manually'energized action in order to cause a quick powerful interengaging 0f the friction et. The supporting frame -'3'| projects horizon-' aoaz V 1 i V clutch faces. The bell crank lever also includes a relatively short upstanding arm 46 which carries a pivot pin 4T extending therethrough. A coiled retractor spring 48 has' one end secured 'to the pin 41 between nuts 49 as shown in Fig. 3,.

the other end of" which spring engages rugged post .49 formed integraljwith the supporting frame and projecting laterally therefrom at the curved portion where it merges into the bar 32 as particularly shown in Figs. 1 and '7. 7 It is intended that spring 48 be a powerful spring capable of exerting a forceful braking action on the brake and insuring a quick return of the other elements of the control device and actuating pedal to their normal inoperative position.

-. Pivoted topin 41 is a Z-shaped brake lever 50 lever arm 40 as particularly shown in Fig. 3. r

- A set screw 5| is threaded through the enlarged V I end and is disposed in bearing engagement with arm 40 so as'to "partake of its movement and at the same time to locate brake 52 at its opposite 'end' in adjusted relation to the groove: of the The brake '52Ji's formed .of y."

pulley at I3. conventional brakingmaterial and in the illustionally snug fit. In order to prevent transverse movement of the upper portion of the brake, the

head 53 is provided onits under-side with a channel or groove 56 in which the upper unreduced end of the brakeis contained. 7

The length of the set screw 5| is so propora tioned that when it is desired to replace aworn brake with the'fresh element, screw 5| is 1308-. ened to an extent to permit theb'rake to clear the pulley a distance suflicient 'to' permit the mounting of the new brake in position into the under-sideof the elevated head 53 without otherwise disarranging the pre-setting of'the other parts. With the brake in position, the screw-5| is reset to give the desired pressure between brake pulley on the subsequent operation of the. device. V s

It is, of course, understood that the parts are so proportioned that the brake 52 is located cen-' trally above the pulley so'that when lowered'the curved under-side 51 of the'brake will snugly engage the pulley perimeter and that'th'e'adjustableset screw 45 'isin axial "alignment with the clutch so as to direct pressure centrally thereon and along the direction of the axis of the'motor 'shaftil. Because of the necessity of bringing.

these parts into their proper position is the reason for the peculiar shape of the-several'associated parts.

trated case is formed o'fleather. This: brake The'main supporting frame 3| provides a support for a switchbox casing 58 hung therefrom and preferably detachably suspended therefrom.

' In so far as the parts within the casing are concerned,'it maybe assumed'th'a't they correspond to the showing in applicants Patent 1,463,449, and that current is lead to the motor through a control switch, shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2-, and whichswitch is in turn controlled by plunger 59 projecting upwardly from the casing. Also following structure similar to that disclosed in applicants Patent 1,931,305, a switch control lever 60 is pivoted to a lug 6|,in this case upstanding from the rear side 62 in the casing and having the Z-shaped form shown in Fig. 3. One end of the lever BE! bears on plunger 59 and at the opposite end the lever is provided with a knife edge 62 which is disposed in the path of movement of a laterally projecting leg 63 adjacent the free end of the manually actuating arm 40. The supporting frame is provided on one side thereof with a vertically extending, shallow slot 64 adjacent its outer end, and located in this slot is an upstanding post 65 formed integral with the rear side 62 of the casing 58. This slot 64 and post 65 are provided as shown in Fig. 4 with registering bolt holes 66 through which may be inserted a standard type of nut bolt fastenings, or as suggested in the modified form shownin Fig. 5, a threaded stud 6'? may be formed integral with the supporting frame and extend therefrom centrally of the slot 64. The bolt holes 66 of the post is inserted over the stud 61 and nut 68 used to snugly secure the parts in position. It will be 7 understood from this construction that the wide post in its engagement with the similarly wide slot provides a rugged suspension means for the casing and which tend to defeat tendency of the casing to swing. The post 65 is provided integrally therewith with a hook 69 for securing in place an electric lead shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and extending from the switch casing to the electric motor.

In operation and assuming that the bracket. 15 is properly located relative to the sewing machine I l, the electric motor I4 is at first temporarily located in position on the bracket with its friction clutch carrying end disposed opposite arm 44 and with the brake 52 located above the associated pulley. Then by a refined adjustment of the motor M in the slots 23 and at the same time by means of the vertical adjustment of the unit as a whole in the slot 30, the several parts are accurately located relative to the other and when so located, no further adjustment is required.

To operate the device, the operator presses conventionally on the foot pedal which lowers the rod 43, shifts the arm 44 to the right of the showing in Fig. 1 to cause the clutch to become active and thus cause the motor M to drive the sewing machine through the belt l2. Simultaneous with this action, the brake 52 is elevated out of its clutching position with the pulley, tension is stored in the spring 28 and plunger 59 is lowered to close the circuit to the electric motor. Releasing foot pressure on the pedal will permit spring 48 in its collapsing movement to release the friction clutch which automatically brakes the driving connection between the motor and sewing machine, releases the electric switch and acts to force the brake into its normal pulley braking position shown in Fig. 1 to suddenly stop the operation of the sewing machine as is well known in this art.

I claim;

1. In a device of the class described the combination of a hanging bracket, an electric motor adjustably secured to the bracket to hang therefrom and provided with a horizontally extending motor shaft, two elements of a friction clutch supported from the motor shaft, one secured directly to the shaft to turn therewith and provided with two hubs extending axially from opposite ends thereof, the other clutch element slidably mounted on one of the hubs and having its periphery grooved toform a driving pulley, a control mechanism comprising a single unit adjustably supported from the end of the bracket adjacent the friction clutch and including a'unit supporting frame having a broad bearing bar having a vertically adjustable engagement with the bracket, a manually actuated bell crank lever supported by the frame and having its axis fixed relative thereto, said bell crank lever having one arm disposed for engaging the pulley forming element of the friction clutch to move the same into clutching engagement with its companion, a brake lever pivoted to the bell crank lever and including a brake engaging in the groove of the pulley to brake the same and adjustable means between the bell crank lever and the brake lever to adjust the brake relative to the pulley, and means for controlling the operation of the electric motor including a switch box demountably secured to the unit supporting frame, a horizontally disposed switch controlling lever pivoted to the box, extending beside and substantially parallel to one arm .of the bell crank lever and having one end disposed in the path of movement of the manually actuated lever to be actuated thereby.

2. In a device of the class described, an electrio motor for driving a sewing machine and a mounting therefor including a friction clutch drive carried by the motor, fixed relative to its axis of rotation and acting between the motor and sewing machine, said mounting comprising a bracket provided with a plurality of slots for locating the motor in a horizontally adjusted position when hung from the bracket, said bracket including an upstanding wide channel member projecting from one edge thereof, a control unit including a supporting frame including a wide bar fitted in the channel and secured fia-twise therein in vertically adjustable position, thereby to locate the parts of the unit relative to the adjustably located motor, said wide channel and wide bar interengaging to defeat all relative movement except vertically, in the direction of the channel, said unit including a manually actuated control lever pivoted to the supporting frame, a brake, an actuating lever for controlling the friction clutch and a circuit control lever for controlling the motor, the brake, clutch and motor control levers being interconnected and actuated by the manually actuated control lever.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bracket for supporting an electric motor provided with a clutch mounted on the motor shaft and including a clutch pulley, said motor and bracket being cooperating, means for securing the motor in position adjustable in the direction of the axis of its shaft, a control unit supported from the bracket in fixed relation relative to adjustments horizontally, said unit constituting a horizontal extension from the bracket, and said bracket and unit provided at their interengaging ends with cooperating means including vertically extending wide spreading interengaging surfaces for securing the unit to the bracket in vertically adjustable and otherwise fixed relation and a manually actuated control lever fixedly pivoted to the unit and having a depending clutch actuating arm fixed for movement in the plane containing the axis of the motor shaft and having a brake actuated by the control lever and engaging the upper side of the pulley to brake the same.

4. In .a device of the class described, the combination of a hanging bracket for supporting an 7 electric motorprovided witha clutch-mounted on the. motorshaft,saidjnotor and bracket having cooperating'means for securing the motor in position adjustable solely in the direction of the axis'of itsishaft' and fixed inevery-other direction,rfa control-unit including a main; frame 7 constituting a cantilever structure supported from the bracket in fixed relation.;ijelative ;to

adjustments horizontally and --contained for the most partabove the base of the motor, said bracket and frame 3| provided with cooperating j means for securing the unit toethe bracket in vertically,adjustable'relation and a manually actuated control lever fixedly pivoted to the frame at itsfree endandhaving a clutch actuating arm extending :both-aboveand below the Q motor base and fixed for movement in the plane 7 containing the axis of, the motor shaft.

5. In. a device for controllinga friction clutch, the combination'of abell'crank lever fulcrumed to rock about afixedaxis and comprising three 1 arms in the same'ver-ticalplane, one arm being relatively long and forming a-manually actuated power' arm another relatively-shorter arm provided with an adjustable end thrust element x 'for actuating the friction'clutch, to move the 7 same, into its clutching position, a brake lever "fulcrumed to the third and shortest arm, said brake lever forming in eifect a fourth arm to the bell crank lever, and provided at one end with a brake for engaging one of the clutch elements to-brake thesame and the opposite end of the brakeylever'provided withra set screw for engaging the actuating lever and thus regulating the operative position of the. brake relative to its associated clutchelement and a long powerful coiled retractor springhaving one end engaging said shortest arm" extending substantially at right angles to the length of. said shortest arm and tending to rotate the bell crank lever. in a direction to cause the ,end thrust element to move away from the clutch and to ca-use'the brake to' move into its braking'engagement and a pivot pin for journalling the brake lever to said short arm and towhich one end of the spring is secured. V V 7 6. In a device'for controlling afriction clutch,

the combination of a bell crank lever fulcrumedto rock about a fixed'axis and comprisingthree arms all contained in the same vertical plane, onearm being-relatively long and forming a horizontally extending manually actuated power arm,,.another relatively shorter arm depending from the power arm and provided with an adjustable end thrust element for actuating the friction clutch,'to move the same into its clutching position, a brake lever fulcrumed to. the

third and shortest arm, said brake'lever forming in eifecta fourth armrto the bell cranklever and contained substantially in said plane, and provided'at one end with a brake for engaging one of the clutch elements to brake the same and the opposite end of the brake lever overlapping the power 'arm and provided with a set screw for engaging theactuating lever' and thus regulating the operative position of'the brake relative to its associated clutch element.

'7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bracket, an electric" motor hung from the bracket, a friction clutch having one element secured to the motor shaft and its companion slidablymounted on the first named ele-- ment and including a pulley, means for adjusting the motor onfthe bracket horizontally and in the direction of ,the axis of its motor shaft,

attachment carried by the bracket, vertically" extending means between the bracket and the attachment for adjusting the attachment vertically relative to the pulley f orminglelement of the clutch, said attachment including a plurality of .levers interconnected to operate in unison,

one constituting a lever for controlling an electrio-switch in turn controlling the motor, a lever for engaging the pulley to actuate the clutch and a lever-provided'with a brake for engaging the pulley to stop its rotation when the clutch is disengaged and means for adjustingthe brake lever to cause it to fit the pulley when motor and as sociated frictionclutch element have to be adjusted relative to pulley lever.

8. In a device of the class described; the corn bination of a motor supporting bracket, anattachment adjustably supported directly from the bracket and including a supporting frame, a manually actuated lever journalled on the. supporting I frame, said post and frame coacting to prevent swinging movement of theicasing and provided with a-ledge projecting laterally from one side 1 thereof, a switch casing provided withla post detachably secured to the "supporting frame, a switch controlling lever journalled on the casing and having one end positioned in the path of movement of the ledge tobe actuated by themam ually actuated lever and otherwise disconnected therefrom. i V i 9. An,attachment for controlling the driving connection between an electric motor. and a pulley for drivingasewing machine, saidiata :ta'chment including a supporting frame provided withmeans for mounting it in adjustable relation. to the motor, saidframe provided on one i side thereof with a channel shaped slot and provided with an integral stud projecting into the a pulley; of a control mechanism for braking the pulley elements of the clutch when the clutch is in its inoperative, V non-driving condition, said mechanismjncluding a, supporting frame, means 7 for mounting the frame in adjustable relation to the motor and tothe clutch, a, manually actuated i bell crank lever pivoted to the frame and including a depending arm for controlling the clutch and;a recess extending through thearmat the recess, a brake lever pivoted .to' the bell' crank lever andmovable therewith, said brake lever provided with an arm overlapping the pulley, said 7 arm provided with an elongated slot extending parallel to the plane of the pulley: and a recess extending through the arm at, the slot, a brake having'its upper end .demountably fitted in both the slot a'nd'recess, frictionally engaging the V brake lever and having'its underside curved to 1 the curvature of the pulley groove and'acting to brake the pulley simultaneously with the releasing voflthe'clutch. s c 11. In a'idevice of j the class described, the combination 10f 'a'lbracket, a horizontally extending supporting frame including a wide bar having a vertically adjustable connection with the bracket, said frame provided adjacent the bar with aspring holding finger and'provided at the other end witha stub shaft'bearing and also provided on one side thereof with a flat vertically extending slot, a casing including a flat bar demountably fitted in said vertical slot, a stub shaft mounted in said bearing, a bell crank lever journalled on said shaft, one arm of the lever adapted to be manually actuated, another arm extending substantially at right angles thereto and provided at its free end with an adjustable screw constituting a clutch actuating end thrust bearing member, a pivot pin on the side of the lever fulcrum opposite said last named line, a brake lever provided with a brake journalled on said pivot pin and horizontally extending coiled spring having one end secured to said finger and the other end secured to the pivot pin and tending to swing the bell crank lever and the brake lever in the direction to apply the brake and release the associated clutch.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of a clutch, one element of which is a pulley, an actuating lever having a fixed fulcrum and having at one end an adjustable thrust hearing for engaging the clutch to move the same into clutching position, a brake lever fulcrumed to the actuating lever and provided at one end with a recess extending therethrough, and a channel extending across the recess on the side thereof facing the pulley, a brake for engaging the pulley to intercept rotation thereof, said brake having an end replaceably inserted in the recess and having a shoulder portion adjacent the end and fitted in said channel and adjustable means between the other end of the brake lever and the actuating lever for adjusting the brake relative to the pulley, said adjustable means being ofsufficient length to permit the brake carrying end of the brake lever to be moved temporarily away from the pulley a distance sufiicient to permit the end of the brake to clear both the recess and channel and to permit the insertion of a new brake in the brake lever without necessity of demounting the same from the actuating lever.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supporting frame provided at one end with means for mounting itin place, said frame having its opposite end enlarged and provided on one side of the enlarged end with a vertically extending slot, a switch box casing including a plunger protruding through the top of casing, a switch control lever fulcrumed to the lug and having one end overlapping and bearing 

